Any Creative Builders Here

I am desperately looking for someone to either build me a couple of unique items or point me where to find them.

We have a very tiny side yard with a sidewalk down the center so a tiny bit on the side near the house and a little bigger next to the sidewalk.

Last year I built an oval garden, think race track in that part of the yard. It is mostly in the shade and no one really sees it but us.

My son died as an infant and we do the disney cars from the cars movie at his cemetary so I want this to be retroish like route 66 and cars in the movie.

I am looking to find or have built some kind of tow truck (mater like) for this area. I'm thinking either wood on a small pole maybe with a hole for birds, or a metal sculpture. Not really picky just trying to find something.

The center is just painted black rock right now and I want it to be more fun while the flowers wait to bloom.

I'm also interested in finding a retroish funky & fun but not overly priced hummingbird feeder and possibly a bird bath. I want the birds, butterflies and squirrels to enjoy this garden that was just an ugly patch of weed.

Thank you

I am praying for you and this project that it is satisfying to you and a meaningful memorial to your son.

I can only kind of picture this (I am more visual and have a hard time with word pictures). I used to do flowers. For baby boys I like to put the arrangement into a plastic dump truck bed. Could you do that with some of the plants? Are you able to get old Tonka trucks or plastic replicas? Trucks with trailers with your plants in them? Front end loaders with plants in the buckets? Bulldozers pushing mounds of dirt that have been planted?

I have not seen cars (my youngest is 31 and there are no grandchildren) so this might be way off....but new to me as a young mom is now retro to you (I'm just saying).

Anyway....it sounds sweet, even with what I see.

I'm so sorry to hear of the loss of your son. He is watching and will enjoy this memorial garden as much as you will.

Like Debs, I don't know much about the movie CARS... but I checked EBay, and you may want to look there too... here's one auction that's ending in a couple of hours: http://cgi.ebay.com/Disney-Pixar-Cars-TOW-Mater-TH813-/180499697940?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a069ed114
Good luck!

Creative birdbath idea. I saw the cutest birdbath/feeder in a gardening idea book. They took a wreath and laid it flat, strung fishing line around it in four places and put a shallow glass bowl in the center, or you could use a plastic pot saucer. You just hang it up and the birds can perch on the wreath and eat/drink from the middle.

Thank you for sharing, Amy!

My heart goes out to you! I do have some ideas for you. I get this really cool catalog in the mail that has all sorts of the kinds of things you are mentioning and all of their items are extremely affordable. The issue I am looking at right now is for summer 2010. The company is called, "CollectionsEtc". Their website is:www.collectionsetc.com I order from them all the time and their products are usually always really nice. I should mention they have everything for your home, garden, hobbies, collections, etc. I've got the prettiest bath towel sets from them, comforters for out bed, solar lamps for my garden, figurines, etc.

This particular issue has some really cute things that I think would work. I can list a few for you.

#865-50-16885 A set of three frog spinners made of glass with beads below that you can hang on a branch or hook and they spin around in the wind. Says it is $11.99 or sales club price$10.79 The sales club thing is new. I'll find out more in a little while when I place an order. Some cool gardening stuff in this issue.

#865-50-16252 Ladybug Rolling Plant Stands $11.99 or $10.79 It's a set of two, they look like red and white mosaic ladybugs with casters under them for up to a 10 inch diameter pot.

#345-50-15183 Bejeweled Turtle $14.99 or $13.49 Made of polyresin, measures 91/4 inches long, 6 3/4 Wide and 4 1/2 High, has a really cute shell with flowers painted on it and jewels around the bottom of his shell. Uses 3 AA batteries if you want to make it light up. If you do, it changes colors. Has on/off switch.

#345-50-16490 Baseball Kids, It's a set of three little boys playing baseball that are made out of hand painted resin with metal stakes that secure them to the ground. They range in height from 11 1/4 inches to 13 inches. There is a batter, a pitcher and a catcher. Extremely cute! All three in the set for $19.99 or $17.99.

#345-50-50589 Peek-A-Boo Boy 14 inches tall, hand painted polyresin $12.99 or
$11.69

#345-50-50590 Peek-A-Boo Girl $12.99 or $11.99

#345-50-16900 Vintage Girl Statue, She is hand painted and sculpted resin and sitting on a fancy black wrought iron bench. She's wearing an adorable white dress with pink sach and her hands are up to her mouth like she just saw them make a fabulous play at their baseball game. The bench is 10 1/2 inches long and she is 10 1/2 high. $15.99 or $14.39

#345-31-14988 Solar Corner Fence, It looks like a miniature wooden picket fence for a corner and in the corner is a black plastic tube that has a decorative solor lamp ontop. There is an on/off switch, uses no electricity, just one AA battery.
Measures 23 1/4 inches Long x 23 1/4 inches Wide x 28 3/4 inches High. $19.99
or $17.99

#345-50-60267 Mosquito Repellant Frog, solar powered bug zapper, cute expression, is sitting on top of a stake and it automatically activates at dusk or you can use the on/off switch. Uses two rechargable AA batteries. $19.99 or
$17.99

#345-50-16819 Quacky Duck Rain Gauge, really cute and silly looking yellow duck standing up straight with a blue jacket on, rubber boots, and holding an umbrella in one hand and a rain gauge in the other! Says he is solar powered and lights up at night. Uses one rechargable AA battery $16.99 or $15.29

#345-50-16971 Turtle Mat, Stiff coir bristles, but has a really cute shape and expression. 30 inches x 18 inches. $12.99 or $11.69

#345-50-16832 Bend N'Over, Very cute resin frog in overalls, bending over and peeking back at you through his legs. His pants bottom says, "WELCOME" and their are three little birds resting on his back. 8 3/4 Long x 8 inches High
$14.99 or$13.49

#345-50-60232 Feathered Friends Downspout, made of resin and just as it says is a really cute downspout. 7inches High, x 8 inches wide x 10 inches long $14.99
or $13.49

#345-50-51184 Woodland Birdbath, polyresin resembling a tree stump with all sorts of cute animals nestled all around it and birds sitting ontop of it. 131/2"Hx7"Wx9"D
$17.99 or $16.19

#345-50-50408 Garden Butterfly Set, White victorian looking pole with a butterfly house on top. 12 1/2 inches high, to 21 1/4 inches high with pole $16.99 or $15.29

#345-50-13521 Country Butterfly House, An actual butterfly house that looks like a country cottage mounted ontop of a wooden pole. Cute! 6 1/4 long house 5 1/4 wide and 39 1/2 inches tall. $14.99 or $13.49

#345-50-16829 Angel Wing Memorial Stone, Solar pink heart with a poem written on it and being held by angel wings and can rest on the ground or anywhere. The poem reads, "When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure". I love it. Uses one rechargable AA battery. On/off switch or let it come on each night. 9 3/4Lx41/4Wx7"H. $16.99 or $15.29

#345-72-13961 Life Never Ends Windchime, Has a resin angel sitting ontop of a little platform with a hook underneath that has a pretty resin umbrella with wind chimes extending from it and a little resin scroll tablet that has writing, "May the breeze whisper, that life never ends, Only that it changes, And continues forever, In a more beautiful place." 17"Lx7"1/2Wx49"1/4 High $24.99 or $22.49

#345-72-17443 Solar Praying Angel, resin cross with resin angel infront if it with beautiful wings that light up. 8 1/2"L x 6 1/4" W x 16" H $19.99 or $17.99

#345-50-13972 Stars in the Sky, Resin little boy and girl sitting ontop of a hill looking out into the sky. Little boy is pointing to the sky and the poem on the hill reads, "Perhaps the stars in the sky, are loved ones, letting us know they are near, by guiding us, through the night." Solar powered with one rechargeable AA battery. on/off button 9 1/2"L X 6 3/4 H $16.99 or $15.29

There is a promo code 3H9232 in yellow on the back of the catalog
Also a customer number 0018866720 in blue on the back of the catalog
Using these codes will get you the special prices and it says Free Shipping using the Promo Code 3H9232 There are other cute things but thought these might be items you would think were cute and you could use.

I'll be thinking of you in my prayers, dear. LindainWarwickNY

I LOVE the movie Cars.....what a great story!

Maybe you could visit a junkyard and try to find an old Mater-like truck and just take the front piece with the hood off. You could plant right inside that!

I think that you have the coolest idea going.....please post pix. what a wonderful way to honor your son.

I will try to figure out a picture. I don't need anything to plant the flowers in as I have that done just something for the center area.

We own all the cars, but I don't want to put these good cars in the yard just was looking for something funky/fun.

I'm going to look for old metal cars/tow truck on eBay thanks for that tip.

I might have found a good bird feeder its red metal with butterfly design from walmart.

The only reason I'm thinking of it is I saw this beautiful wrought iron heart patio hanger thing, hard to describe. And the center has a hook to hang something on so I'm thinking maybe.